When writing about instinct, is the adjective instinctive or instinctual? Are they synonymous, or have they differentiated? Are we just to rely on our editorial instincts to choose?
Many usage mavens, including Bryan Garner and Charles Harrington Elster, consider instinctual a needless variant … [Read more...]

I used to like spicy food much more than I do now. I was never a fanatic about it — chomping on a ghost pepper has never been on my bucket list. But there are people out there who will jump at any chance to experience new levels of mouth pain whenever they hear about a new, more powerful … [Read more...]

A hypothetical 400-page bill is brought forward in Congress, and voting on the bill is expected to happen in only one hour. Legislators don't have enough time to read and absorb the entire thing, so they scan through it quickly, looking for specific phrases and keywords just to get the gist of what … [Read more...]

Pop-culture references are commonplace. Chances are you know what it means to turn to the Dark Side or go to warp speed even if you’ve never seen the term-propelling properties.
But what about emerging pop-culture references—like the fictional nation of Wakanda, the expression of solidarity … [Read more...]

As Americans across the country take a day off work to cook out with friends, watch fireworks, and complain about the hellish heat, one hopes they will each take a moment to reflect on the reason for the holiday: the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in … [Read more...]

Today we’re tackling two to four homophones. Why the qualification? To some English speakers, the words metal, medal, mettle, and meddle are all pronounced identically, or nearly so. But to others, depending on dialect and accent, they are not.
In any case, at least two of these words will be … [Read more...]

Last week, the 2018 AP Stylebook went on sale, and I gave you a peek at the guidance offered in its new “Polls and Surveys” chapter. This week, I highlight some of the Associated Press guidelines for writing accurately and dispassionately about another hot topic: immigration.
DREAM Act vs. … [Read more...]

John F. Kennedy's inauguration speech on January 20, 1961, inspired a generation of young people to a life of public service and self-sacrifice. The speech ended with what is perhaps the most well-known chiasmus in history: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your … [Read more...]